William Wolf, Drama Desk President, and his Annual Awards event team, listed above, again presented a richly entertaining evening with renowned guests and speakers. The evening began at a closed VIP party at Rouge Tomate, with an Open Bar and hors d’oeuvres. Drama Desk attendees and guests then rode the Gray Line NY Sightseeing double-decker buses to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, where nominees and guests were greeted with a special red carpet. Awards were presented by Lauren Ambrose, Stockard Channing, John Cullum, André De Shields, Jim Dale, Jason Danieley, Raúl Esparza, Jane Fonda, Victor Garber, Cheyenne Jackson, Carson Kressley, John Lithgow, Marin Mazzie, Audra McDonald, Rex Reed, Michael Rupert and Tom Wopat. The Drama Desk Awards, founded in 1949, presented its first awards in 1955. They support ongoing theatrical development and are the only critics’ awards that compete Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway shows in the same categories. They also honor promising students, in theatre and musical performing arts. This year scholarships went to two graduating seniors in the Theater Department of LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, thanks to The Smart Family Foundation, TheaterMania.com, Ted Snowdon, Jamie deRoy & friends, and Robert R. Blume.

The 2008/2009 Nominating Committee for the Drama Desk Awards is composed of: Barbara Siegel (Chairperson) TalkinBroadway.com, TheaterMania.com; Dan Bacalzo, TheaterMania.com; Christopher Byrne, Gay City News; Patrick Christiano, TheaterLife.com, Dan’s Papers; Jason Clark, Entertainment Weekly, TheaterOnline.com; Gerard Raymond, Back Stage, The Advocate; and Richard Ridge, Broadway Beat TV. Nominations were announced on April 27, at 9:30 AM, at the New York Friar’s Club. (I was moving apartments that day and do not have photos of this event). Faith Prince and Jim Dale announced the nominations in the various categories. There were remarks by Drama Desk President William Wolf, Drama Desk Awards Executive Producer Robert R. Blume, Nominating Committee Chairperson Barbara Siegel and Randie Levine-Miller, Drama Desk Director of Special Events. The entire evening’s ceremony was webcast live by TheaterMania.com. (Courtesy of Drama Desk Awards Website)

I was joined for the Awards events and Pre-Awards, Post-Awards Receptions by my colleague, Marco Losavio, Publisher, JazzItalia.net, who was in the US on business and extended the trip to attend this special event. The décor at Rouge Tomate was chic and contemporary, with elegant wall hangings and stylish wait staff. We enjoyed riding the large Grey Line New York Sightseeing buses (enclosed this rainy season) to and from the Awards ceremony. On arrival at LaGuardia High School, I was able to photo several nominees and their guests, although the crowd was thick. William Wolf, as always, graciously entertained the Drama Desk Awards guests with a bit of insight into the Awards history and process. Harvey Fierstein has always been one of my favorite actors, hosts, playwrights, and he did not disappoint. This year he began his remarks wittily talking about last year’s eleven nominations for his play, A Catered Affair, and the agony of waiting publicly, as not one award was his. But, this year he got the honor to be Host, so all was not lost.

Billy Elliot The Musical, ten Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Shrek The Musical, three Awards, same as The Norman Conquests, which won two competitive Awards: Outstanding Revival of a Play and Outstanding Director of a Play, and one special ensemble award for its cast. Ruined, two Awards for Outstanding Play and Outstanding Music in a Play.

Janet McTeer (Mary Stuart) won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama, and Allison Janney (9 to 5) won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical. Geoffrey Rush (Exit the King) won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play, and Brian d’Arcy James (Shrek the Musical) won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical.

Angela Lansbury (Blithe Spirit) won Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play, and Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot The Musical) won Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. Pablo Schreiber won Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play for reasons to be pretty, and Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical went to Haydn Gwynne (Billy Elliot The Musical).

Three of the Billy Elliot The Musical creative team won Awards – Stephen Daldry (Outstanding Director of a Musical), Peter Darling (Outstanding Choreography) and Elton John (Outstanding Music). Stephen Sondheim (Road Show) won for Outstanding Lyrics, Lee Hall (Billy Elliot The Musical) won for Outstanding Book of a Musical, and Martin Koch (Billy Elliot The Musical) won for Outstanding Orchestrations.

The Award for Unique Theatrical Experience went to Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words and the Outstanding Solo Performance Award went to Lorenzo Pisoni (Humor Abuse). Outstanding Ensemble Awards went to The Norman Conquests and The Cripple of Inishmaan. Liza Minnelli won a special Award for “her enduring career of sustained excellence” and for Liza’s at the Palace!. Forbidden Broadway won for “an unparalleled New York institution cherished for its satire and celebration of Broadway”. Atlantic Theater Company and Neil Pepe won for “exceptional craftsmanship and dedication to excellence and productions that engage, inspire, and enlighten”. TADA! Youth Theater won the final special Award for “providing an invaluable contribution to the future of the theater”. (Courtesy of Drama Desk Awards Website).

Following the Awards presentations and show, many of the guests again climbed into the large, red Gray Line NY Sightseeing buses for the return trip to Rouge Tomate, where the After-Party, for dessert and drinks, ensued. Kudos to all the nominees and winners, and kudos to William Wolf and his 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards team.

Arriving at Rouge TomateCourtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower

William and Lillian Wolf with Marco LosavioCourtesy of Roberta E. Zlokower